Endagered Sea Turtles
By: Jordan Meewes
Loggerhead Sea Turtles
SCIENTIFIC NAME- caretta caretta
- There are 7 species of sea turtles in our ocean.
- Almost all of them are named endagered or threatened.
- As of September 2011, there were only 9 distinct population groups left of loggerhead sea turtles.
- Of those 9 groups, 4 are named endagered while the remaining 5 are threatened.
What Causes Endagerment?
- The seaturtles are mostly endagered by the actions of humans.
- They are killed for their eggs, meat, skin, and shells.
- They also are faced with habitat destruction.
- Sometimes, the turtles are caught accidentally in fishing gear.
- Climate change also impacts these turtles, as their eggs are buried in sand. The changing temperature affects the turtles eggs, which in turn affects the gender of the sea turtle.
Location
- Loggerhead sea turltes are mostly found in the Northwest Atlantic Ocean, which is one of the most crucial habitat areas for the turtles as well as the North Pacific Ocean
What is Being Done
- Many petitions and operations are being formed in order to help the sea turtles.
- One of these is the 'Sea Turtle Conservancy' operation that is trying to raise awareness and track turtles for research.
- Another website that is used to help save sea turtles is the National Save the Sea Turtle Foundation that works on educating the public on the sea turtle, Florida marine ecosystem, and sea turtle research in the U.S. and beyond.